Ukukhangwa Ikoala Enobungane

Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eAustralia

KUMELWE ukuba ukutholwa kwezilwane ezithakazelisayo nezingavamile kungesinye sezimangaliso eziheha kakhulu emazweni angajwayelekile, angahlolwa. Lokhu ngokuqinisekile kwenzeka eAustralia ngemva konyaka ka-1788.

Emuva ngalesosikhathi, amakoloni okujezisa iziboshwa azungeze iPort Jackson (manje okuyiSydney) ayehlala iziboshwa ezazilethwe zisuka eNgilandi ziyiswa eAustralia. Eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva, isiboshwa esasikhululiwe esaba umhloli wamazwe salibhekisa ezinkangala zaseningizimu, emakhilomitheni angu-130 maphakathi nezwe. Sahlabeka umxhwele lapho sibona ikoala yaseAustralia ngokokuqala ngqá. Lesi, sabhala, “kwakungesinye isilwane abomdabu [ama-Aborigine] ababesibiza ngokuthi ‘icullawine,’ esifana kakhulu namasloth aseMelika.”

Ubungathanda yini ukuhlola loboya obuntofontofo obuthakazelisayo osekuthe eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili kamuva, waba isici esikhangayo ezivakashini ezivakashela izwe elishisayo laseAustralia? Akungabazeki ukuthi ubungathanda, ngenxa yokuthi esinye sezicelo ezivamile esenziwa izivakashi ezivakashela eAustralia esandulelwa esokubona ikangaroo yilesi: “Kumelwe ngiyibone futhi ngiyithinte iteddy bear yenu enobungane.”

Akulona Ngempela Ibhele

Ngokungangabazeki, ikoala iyisilwane esincane esinobungane. Ikhula ibe ngamasentimitha angu-80 kuphela ubude futhi iyafana neteddy bear, nekhala elifana nenkinobho noboya obuthambile, obuhle. Kodwa kungase kukumangaze ukwazi ukuthi ayiyona neze eyomkhaya wamabhele.

Oh, yebo, ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi ibhele lekoala noma ibhele lendabuko laseAustralia. Kodwa konke lokhu kungamagama ayichaza ngokungeyikho. Kunokuba ibe eyomkhaya wamabhele, ikoala ifana kakhulu newombat, nayo ephatha abantwana ngesikhwama esisesiswini engeyaseAustralia, efana kakhulu nebeaver.

IAustralian Encyclopaedia iveza umfanekiso ohlaba umxhwele walesidalwa esikhangayo nesinobungane: “Ikoala inomzimba oqinile, uboya obuqatha obusavolo obumpunga kuya kobunsundu ngaphezulu nobumhlophe okusaphuzi ngaphansi, amadlebe amakhulu ayindilinga anoboya, nekhala elisasikhumba, elikhulu, elicishe libe lide . . . Lesilwane siyakwazi ukucaca ngokungahluleki kodwa siyayendezela lapho sihamba emhlabathini.”

Lapho esekhule ngokwanele, amakoala anesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-14. Angase aphile iminyaka engu-20 endle. Amanye aye aphila iminyaka efinyelela ku-12 ezindaweni zokugcinwa kwezilwane.

Njengekangaroo yaseAustralia, ikoala iyisilwane esiphatha abantwana ngesisu (imarsupial igama elithathelwe kwelesiLatini elithi marsupium, elisho “ikhukhu” noma “isikhwama”) futhi inenqubo yokuzala engeyezilwane ezithwala abantwana ngesisu zodwa. Nakuba emancane kakhulu lapho ezalwa, amazinyane ekoala asuke engakaqini ngokwanele futhi ayazingenela ekhukhwini likanina ngaphandle kokunikezwa usizo, lapho efike azinamathelise komunye wemibele yakhe emibili.

Ezinyangeni eziyisithupha kamuva, lengane encane isiwumntwana okhule ngokwanele futhi isiyakwazi ukuphuma esikhwameni isikhashana. Kodwa ngemva kwezinye izinyanga ezimbili noma ngaphezulu, isinkulu kakhulu ukuba ingabuyela phakathi. Manje izokwenzenjani? Akuyona inkinga ngempela! Ibeletha emhlane kanina, ibambelela ngokuqinile kunina njengoba egibela eya phansi naphezulu ezihlahleni.

Nokho, lokhu kubelethwa mahhala akunakuqhubeka njalo, ngaleyondlela ngemva kwezinye izinyanga ezinhlanu noma eziyisithupha, lona omncane kumelwe azinakekele ngokwakhe. Kodwa okwesikhashana, kuyathakazelisa ukubona unina wekoala ebelethe umntwana wakhe ngenjabulo, obambelela emhlane wakhe onoboya. Ngemva kokushiya unina, ikoala encane manje iziphilela yodwa futhi ihlangane namanye ngesikhathi sokuzalana kuphela.

Ukudla Kwamaqabunga

Igama elithi koala lithathelwe egameni labomdabu elisho ukuthi lesilwane siphuza kancane kakhulu. Kodwa angaphila kanjani ngaphandle kwamanzi? Ngokumunca amazolo nangamanzi awathola ekudleni kwawo okungamaqabunga egum.

Amaqabunga egum? Yebo, amakoala abuka nje izinhlobo ezingu-50 ezihlukahlukene zezihlahla ze-eucalyptus, kodwa ezimbalwa zalezi eziyizintandokazi ezikhethekile zawo. Izihlahla ze-eucalyptus ngokuvame kakhulu zaziwa ngegama elithi gum, njengeforest red gum, igray gum, neTasmanian blue gum.

Ikoala esikhule ngokwanele idla isilinganiso sosuku esiyikhilogremu elilodwa samaqabunga, iwahlafuna kalula kodwa iwahlafunisisa. Asebenzisa esiningi sesikhathi sawo ephezulu ezihlahleni zegum, ehla kuphela uma ezodlulela kwesinye isihlahla. Awakwazi ukuhamba kahle emhlabathini.

Njengoba eyizilwane zasebusuku, isikhathi sawo esiningi sasemini asisebenzisa ekulaleni, ehlezi ngendlela eyethusayo egatsheni lesihlahla elilengele emhlabathini. Azizwa engakhululekile? Akubonakali ecabanga kanjalo, futhi indawo akuyo inikeza isivikelo esingcono kakhulu kunoma yibaphi abangase babe yizitha.

Ingabe Angafuywa?

Uma ebanjwe esemancane, amakoala aye afuywa, aba izilwane ezifuywayo ezinothando. Umbhangqwana eNyakatho Queensland wakhulisa isilwane esinjalo kusukela ngesikhathi sinezinyanga ezintathu ubudala. ‘Leliwundlu’ lesifazane elincanyana lalikhala njalo ebusuku kwaze kwaba yilapho ekugcineni liduduzwa ngoboya bekoala obathandelelwa emcamelweni futhi babekwa eduze nalo ngaphakathi kukabhasikidi njengokumelela unina walo. Balibiza ngokuthi uTeddy, futhi laliphila ngobisi lwenkomo, elaliluxhapha njengezinyane lekati, kwaze kwaba yilapho selikhule ngokwanele ukuba liqalise ukudla ukudla okuqinile kwamaqabunga egum.

Inkinga kwakungukuthi uTeddy wajwayelana kakhulu nabantu kangangokuthi wakuzonda ukushiywa yedwa futhi wathanda ukuba athwalwe njengengane. Waba inkathazo ngempela. Ukuphila kwakhe okwakumanelisa kwafinyelela eminyakeni engu-12. Yebo, ngakho amakoala angafuywa, kodwa manje kungukwephula umthetho eAustralia ukugcina lezilwane njengezilwane zasekhaya.

Abulawa Kakhulu Kodwa Manje Asevikelekile

Ngasekuqaleni kwalelikhulu leminyaka, amakoala ayemaningi kangangokuba kwabikwa ukuthi kunezigidi zawo kulelizwekazi. Kodwa ayeyizisulu ezazitholakala kalula, njengoba elala ngesikhathi sasemini emagatsheni ezihlahla ze-eucalyptus, kangangoba izinkulungwane zadutshulwa njengomdlalo nje.

Khona-ke, lapho kuphakama isidingo sokusetshenziswa koboya bazo obuntofontofo obumpunga okusasiliva, ukubulala kwaqala ngamandla. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1908 cishe izikhumba zamakoala ezingu-60 000 zathengiswa eSydney iyodwa. Futhi ngo-1924 izikhumba ezinoboya ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili zathengiselwa amanye amazwe zivela emazweni asempumalanga yeAustralia.

Ngokujabulisayo, uhulumeni wamazwe aseAustralia waluqaphela usongo lokuqothulwa kwalesidalwa esinobungane futhi ngo-1933 wamisa imithetho yokuvimbela ukuthengisela amanye amazwe amakoala nemikhiqizo yawo. Manje ikoala iyisilwane esivikelekile.

Amanye amazwe aye azama ukugcina amakoala ezindaweni zawo zokugcina izilwane kodwa awazange abe nayo impumelelo. Ukudla okukhethekile kwamaqabunga e-eucalyptus asemasha kunzima ukuwagcina ekhona. Nokho, impumelelo iye yafinyelelwa ezweni laseMelika eliyiCalifornia, ikakhulukazi ngenxa yokuthi isimo sezulu sikulungele ukutshala izihlahla ze-eucalyptus. Manje, izindawo zokugcina izilwane eSan Diego naseLos Angeles zinemiphakathi yamakoala ephilile, neyandayo. Muva nje, amakoala aye athunyelwa eJapane, lapho kusetshenziswa khona izindlela ezihlolwe ngokucophelela ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi zigcinwa ziphilile.​—⁠Bheka iPhaphama!, ka-August 22, 1986 ngesiNgisi.

Ingabe Ikoala Enobungane Iyosinda?

Kubonakala sengathi umbono wokuzicabangela wokuvimbela ukubulala konya ungandisa amathemba ayo okusinda. Umlobi uEllis Troughton waphetha incwadi yakhe ethi Furred Animals of Australia ngalesifiso sethemba: “Ikoala ekhangayo ayiyona ingozi ngokuphelele kuyo yonke indawo. Yeka injabulo ejulile obekungaba yiyo kithi sonke ukuba ebemaningi ngokwanele ukuba angahlasela izindlu nasemaphandleni njengoba amapossum evame ukwenza! Kwangathi inani lawo linganda ngokuyisimangaliso ukuze abukwe ngokuthula eziqiwini zasehlathini ezivikelekile.”

Abathandi bezilwane kuyo yonke indawo benanela lelithemba elihle, hhayi nje kuphela ngekoala enobungane kodwa nangazo zonke izidalwa ezinhle eziphila nathi eplanethini enguMhlaba ezibekwe lapha ukuze sizithokozele futhi sizijabulele.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

I“koala” ekhule ngokwanele idla cishe ikhilogremu elilodwa lamahlamvu e-“eucalyptus” ngosuku, iwahlafuna kalula kodwa iwahlafunisisa